Successful Emerging Discussions

Scot McKnight posts on the Seven Habits of Successful Emerging Discussions.  Don't miss it.

Comments

[Mike Noakes]

Good stuff. I think that the discussions could benefit from an agreed usage of terms. It always helps.

[Tim Sweatman]

The principles laid out by Scot are most helpful in toning down the rhetoric that often characterizes discussions between Evangelicals and Emergent folks, especially points 2, 3, and 4. I especially see his fourth point as one that Evangelicals need to keep in mind as we try to understand Emergent. However, his fifth point (about definitions) seems to imply that Evangelicals have not looked at the sources listed. I can't speak for all Evangelicals, but I have looked at these sources (except for the Gibbs and Bolger book) and found the definitions to be vague, especially on theological matters.

Scot continues by looking at the other side of the coin in How to Talk to an Evangelical (If I May). I personally found this post to contain more practical principles to help facilitate dialogue between Emergents and Evangelicals. I believe Scot's first point on this post sums up the major barrier to meaningful dialogue between Evangelicals and Emergents; this is illustrated perfectly in comment #13.

BTW, at my blog I have posted my thoughts on how Evangelicals and Emergent folks can come together for meaningful dialogue.